Many vehicles are designed to transport freight, goods, merchandise, personal property, and other such cargo. Often, such vehicles are arranged to tow a towed vehicle, such as a trailer by attaching the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle though the use of a hitch assembly. For example, a hitch assembly may attach a trailer to a towing vehicle through a hitch ball and coupler arrangement that allows relative movement between the towing vehicle and the trailer as the towing vehicle makes turns, traverses uneven or rough terrain, and passes along inclining and declining roadways.
Even distribution of the weight of a towed vehicle among the axles of the towing vehicle is important to the effective operation of a towing vehicle that is towing the towed vehicle. Towed vehicles are often loaded with heavy cargo and may substantially outweigh the towing vehicle. When such a towed vehicle is coupled or secured to the rear of a towing vehicle, the majority of the weight of the towed vehicle may be born by the rear axle of a towing vehicle. Such uneven weight distribution may lower the rear of the towing vehicle and raise the front of the towing vehicle. Under such conditions, the tires of the rear axle may bear substantially more weight than the tires of the front axle of the towing vehicle.
Controlling the sway movement of the towed vehicle (i.e., lateral or side-to-side movement of the trailer with respect to the towing vehicle) relative to the towing vehicle as the trailer is towed is also important to the effective operation of a towing vehicle. While relative motion of the trailer with respect to the towing vehicle is necessary to accommodate turns and inclining and declining roadways, excess sway of the towed vehicle may be undesirable. This may be particularly true when the load that is being towed is heavy relative to the weight of the towing vehicle.
Many factors may contribute to the swaying of a towed vehicle. For example, crosswinds impacting the trailer; unevenly loaded towed vehicles; inclined, declined, and sloped roadways; winding roadways; and rough and uneven terrain may all contribute to swaying of the towed vehicle. Such factors may be exacerbated as the speed of the vehicle increases. As previously mentioned, towed vehicles and cargo may substantially outweigh a towing vehicle. When such a towed vehicle begins to sway, particularly when driven at high speeds such as on a highway, the towed vehicle may transfer sufficient side-to-side and lateral forces to the towing vehicle to cause undesirable driving conditions.
Weight distributing systems, with sway dampening; have been used to remedy these conditions. However, attaching such weight distribution systems can often be time consuming and difficult. Further still, these weight distributing system use spring bars of a square shape requiring use an intermediate part to fasten the spring bar into the ballmount. Typically this has been accomplished with trunnions and tubular bushings. This approach, however, leads to extra parts. These extra parts add weight to the system, increase looseness, increases costs and provide additional wear items requiring replacement.
There is a need, therefore, for a weight distributing system with sway dampening that uses fewer parts, weighs less than other systems, and is easier to operate. There is also need for a weight distributing system that easier and quicker to assemble.